BNP leader Nick Griffin is targeting black Christian voters in Barking – while at the same time sending literature to white voters with the strapline “Vote New Labour, Get New Neighbours”; identical in sentiment to the racist Tory slogan of 1964 which said “if you want a nigger for a neighbour, vote Labour”.

Griffin’s letter claims that he is “not standing in this election to persecute or hurt anybody, of any race or religion”. Yet Griffin then indulges in precisely that kind of behaviour, with a heavy dose of homophobia and Islamophobia:

“To support Labour is to support the Party that has done more than any other to undemine Christian values, promote ungodly lifestyles and encourage the spread of Islam.“

More evidence of the hidden, visceral racism at the heart of Griffin’s party is revealed in today’s Sunday Mirror, which reports that “a rising star” of the Fascist party has resigned “so he can expose Nick Griffin and his cronies for what they really are… incompetent racist thugs”. Simon Nicholson, a former soldier, went undercover with the BNP during the long campaign, keeping a diary of what he witnessed.

Here are some extracts:

Sat Feb 13: Arrive at hotel and see a couple of Orthodox Jewish men in the street. Regional Organiser Clive Jefferson mutters: “Look at those f***ing Yids.” Three of us crammed into tiny room, Clive rants about Muslims gang-raping “our women” and mixed marriages making him sick.

A party veteran tells us he used to live in Edmonton but moved out after it became “C**n City”. Hates Enfield – “they’re breeding like rabbits” – and didn’t think much of the BNP’s target area of East London today: “They’ll f***ing blow the place up. I couldn’t wait to leave there after what I saw today.”

Thur Feb 18: When Sikh member Rajinder Singh’s name comes up, one member shouts “black b*****d”. Another asks: “What are we supposed to call them when they come to meetings? N*****s? They like being called n*****s, don’t they?”

Clive suggests putting local Muslims “under surveillance” at Friday prayers and claims Burnley has metal detectors because kids have been stabbing each other in race rows. Has a go at plan for all-girl Muslim school there, falsely claiming it will house 5,000 Muslims. Calls it “a breeding programme”.

Wed & Thur Mar 16-17: At Brussels hotel a few of our lot spot two dark-skinned men and start banging the window and making monkey noises. On way to parliament, bus stops at traffic lights near a mosque – hard-core members smash their fists against window shouting abuse.

Sun Mar 28: Griffin’s answer to the scourge of knife crime: “Most of the disaffected youths carrying out knife crime and gun crime in London aren’t ours at all – they’re criminals from other countries. They can go back there.” He claims Muslims “14 times more productive than us” and soon UK, Ireland, France and the Netherlands “will be Islamic”.

• Hope Not Hate will be holding a Day of Action on Monday in Barking and Dagenham to combat the BNP threat, with Eddie Izzard joining the campaign in key wards from 10:30am-1pm; more details can be found here.

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